The Paradoxical Phenomenon of Mental Coherence in Dementia Patients
“Sometimes, people with dementia who had not been coherent for years will suddenly revert to their mentally sharp selves for up to several hours — and then die shortly after.”(Kristin Houser, bigthink.com)
The above phenomenon is terminal lucidity.
In a dramatic case, a bedridden, non-verbal patient got up one day, had a steak in the dining room, engaged with the family, went to sleep, and died the next day.
Paradoxical lucidity is the umbrella term for the resurgence of mental clarity in all the cases including people who experience it long before they die.
Researchers in the U.S. have enlisted the caregivers and clinicians of hundreds of dementia patients with paradoxical lucidity.
They aim to define it, examine its frequency, find a measurable scale, and examine the underlying biomarkers to find a temporary cure for dementia.
